Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-02-03
FROM THE ASIAN SEA.
PecUlIARITIEs OF THE MALAYs WHO
LIVE IN NEW YORK.

the Malay is a sea nomad- Those who have
settled in New York came there as ssamen,
who intended to return by the same ship, but
who by accident or other cause were obliged
TO remain until they were more or less at
tached to their new home. In the years they
have grown by accretion until they form
legitimate colony similar to those Of the
Chinese, the Italians and the Polacks
This colony rises and falls in number
according to the nationality Of foreign
seamen in port. 1t never falls below
s00 and sometimes rises as high as 800
The Malay, contrary to popular belief, is not
pure blooded race, so far as the New York
representatives are concerned. A leading
man in the Sixth ward, Nix de La Cruz, has
the build of a Falstaff, a round, full face,
more like Germans than of any other nation
ality. warm sepia comp exion. long blue
black hair that breaks in heavy curls upon
his shoulders, and the physiognomy Of an ideal
philanthropist. Min Goe, who is equally popu-
lar in Oriental councils, and who runs queer
gambling house in Mott street, is thin, wiry,
fierce featured, straight haired, yellow skinned
and cat like in ways and actions Malaba,
third, is almost European in bis physiognomy,
but as dark as Louisiana negro in hair and
skin. These differences are, perhaps, attrib-
utable to the fact that most of those in the
metropolis come from Manila and other
Malay seaports, where from time immemorial
there has been a constant miscegenation Of
all the Oriental races.
GREGARIoUsNEsS- .MusEMENrs.
Like all the eastern pc pie, they are habit
uated to the practices made needful by
dense population. No matter where they are
they crowd together. 1t is not uncommon
for fifteen or twenty to sleep together in a
room of II by 20 dimensions In converse
ton they squat or stand together till almost
all engaged are In personal contact When
they visit a liquor saloon or one Of the dance
halls so common in the lower wards, they go
In knots Of five or more. The gregariousness
extends 30 almost all the relations Of life, and
In some Malaysian communities enters the
marital relation, producing that singular Gus
tom, polyandry.
Their amusements are few and simple The
most remarkable of these Is turtle fighting
Two swapping turtles are carefully selected
and trained. The best for sporting purposes
are those that weigh from fifteen<b tv enty
pounds apiece. Lighter ones are immature
and not so muscular. Heavier ones are logy,
slow and less vindictive. The training con-
ssts in teasing them three times day with
bamboo rod and allowing them to hang from
The only diet is raw meat and red pepper,
even water being tabeoed. The day before
the fight the teeth and jaws are examined,
overhauled, filed and scraped till they re-
semble knife edges.
The fight is conducted in a small ring not
more than yard in diameter. The snappers
are produced and washed and each tasted by
the seconds of the other. This is done to pre-
vent cowitch or poisonous drugs being placed
upon the salient points whence it may enter
the mouth, nose and eyes of the opposite an
tagonist. They are then irritated in the usual
style with sharp rod until nearly frenzied,
and then placed in the center of the ring
There is neither wait nor running away.
Each snaps at the other simultaneously. The
best hold is an oblique hold. This enables tbs
one that catches to reach the carotid artery
and the windpipe without being compelled to
bite through the massive cartilages of the
neck Next to this is straight neck hold, in
which the two jaws strike against the top and
bottom of the neck. Below this again is the
cross hold, in which the jaws strike against
the two sides of the neck. Poorest of all is
the leg hold. This is sregarded by all Oriental
sports as the acme of unintelligence because
If both the snappers take leg holds the fights
heightened out interminaby. The combat is
to the death-one of the turtles always being
killed and frequently both.
GAMBLING-MA -MARRIAGE-RELIGIoN.
The Malays, like the Chinese are great
gamblers. Their favorite games for which
we have no name in English, suggest and a
few resemble) faro, lottery, roulette, odd and
even dominoes and dice. Many of them
have learned the American national game
and draw and bluff with the sang froid of
NJ
they have made in the new world the Malays
are industrious, affectionate and domestic.
When they marry they pick out if possible
German woman, next to her a daughter Of
Erin, then lady of color, and last of all an
American. Why they prefer this order has
never been ascertained. Mix de la Cruz
is married to q German widow who
speaks but little English and he speaks even
less German. When asked why he married
her he said; German women are not
pretty, but they never get drunk; they don't
fight; they work hard; they're good house
keepers, and they have lots of children"
When married they herd together the same
as when single A typical boarding house in
@Baxter Street Bend" is compartment on
the ground floor about fourteen feet wide by
seventy long. broken up by partitions into
six rooms. OF these the front room is
the office and store. The next, compart-
ment fourteen by twenty feet, is the living
and sleeping place of the boarders, who vary
from one to twenty in number. In the third
sleep Mix, his wife and smaller children, in
the fourth his larger children The fifth is
dining room and kitchen combined The
sixth and last is the store room Such
place costs from $35 to $40 month rent and
nets its proprietor about 1900 per annum.
The Malays have been taught so many re-
hgions that they may be truthfully said to
have none Missionaries and zealots from
the Buddhist, Mohammedan Roman Catho-
lie and Confucian faiths are found in every
town and hamlet of Malaysia They out
number Protestant missionaries ten to one.
Unlike the latter, they adapt themselves to
their surroundings and become integral units
of the community. They teach persistently.
As result the Malay faith as seen in New
York is a vague mixture of all the religions
naned.-New York Cor Cleveland Leader.
De Lesseps' Remarkable Strength.